Friday, October 31, 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The J.K. Place Hotel in Florence, Italy is a destination in and of itself. Set amid the backdrop of a medieval city steeped in tradition, the J.K. Place is an utterly chic and modern refuge located on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. The upscale boutique hotel which consists of 20 rooms, was designed by the revered Italian architect and interior designer, Michele Bonan (pronounced mii-keh-leh), the creative genius behind the design of almost every Ferragamo-owned hotel. Michele believes loves designing hotels and feels that each one should have "its own soul". "I try to avoid details that annoy me- such as colours that don't allow you to see whether a room is clean and cushions that are too hard," he says. "I also hate those tiny bottles of toiletries, which is why the bottles at J.K. Place are so huge." Bonan frequently mixes contemporary and traditional elements and favors the use of local materials (in this case, Tuscan stone and wild boar hide). Michele strives to create spaces where form meets function and makes sure to implement walk-in closets and bathrooms in which the W.C. is separate from the shower and sink.The beautiful J.K. Place features ebony wenge floors, high-end lighting, all wrapped in shades of cream, brown, and grey. The result is warm and inviting, yet it manages to simultaneously give off a chic and sexy vibe. Aside from being an incredible design hotel, the J.K. Palace is renowned for its amiable and attentive service. Rooms range from 350 Euro per night for a Classic Room to 1,000 Euro per night for a Master Room.

The J.K. Lounge

The Hotel's Library

The gorgeous dining room where guests eat breakfast together sits beneath a glass-domed ceiling. The look of this room totally reminds me of this.

The Elegant Marble Staircase

An ultra-chic sitting area in one of the suites

The hotel is housed in a building from the 18th century. Many of its original details, such as the intricate ceiling in this room lend themselves beautifully to Bonan's design aesthetic.

I just came across the blog, "Renovating A Brooklyn Limestone" maybe a week ago and I am hooked! It chronicles the renovation of an old limestone townhouse in Brooklyn, as you may have guessed. However, the blog's author, Mrs. Limestone is also an incredible hostess and puts together soirees that would give Martha a run for her money. Check it out here.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

New York Interior Designer, Amanda Nisbet sure knows how to make a statement. Known for her use of bold patterns and vivid colors, her designs are not for the faint of heart. Don't call on Amanda if you want to blend in with everyone else. Amanda's designs are distinctive and fun. It's evident that she doesn't take herself too seriously and her sense of humor is reflected in her work. I love that a certain joie de vivre is present in each room Amanda designs. Although Amanda is based out of Manhattan, she has designed projects throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe. "Untethered by design rules, Amanda brings a fresh, energetic approach to a traditional sense of luxury. Colour, texture, and form blend to create her trademark comfortable elegance. Her work seamlessly balances function and style, Classicism and Modernism, in surprising ways." Her work has been featured in such publications as Elle Décor, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Town and Country, O at Home, Traditional Home, and The New York Times.

Amanda enjoys Starbucks in a gilded dining room of her design.

A lime and chocolate bedroom featuring gorgeous bedding and a show-stopping chandelier

A cool living room dressed in soothing shades of green

Citrus colors and garden sculptures add an unexpected punch to this otherwise very formal room.

Neutral fabrics mimicking burlap join unique shapes in this living room which is tame by Nisbet standards.

Beautiful, horizontal striped wallpaper and a chubby gourd lamp provide a warm welcome in this foyer.

A sunny breakfast room in which a traditional table mingles with modern lucite chairs

I love the colors in this casual, yet elegant room.

I love this grey baroque wallpaper. If the wallpaper alone wasn't bold enough for you, Nisbet made sure to add a lime green shower curtain and a framed print that seems to be an ode to Salvador Dalí.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Whitney Port has made the move from the Hollywood Hills to The City, New York City to be exact. She has landed a job at Diane Von Furstenberg, has a new roomate, and a cute Aussie boyfriend. While I must admit that Whitney isn't the most exciting person to watch on The Hills, I will definitely tune in to her new show, if only for the beautiful filmography and DVF fashion.

Monday, October 20, 2008

The air has finally turned crisp in Houston. Well, at least during the morning hours, but I'll take what I can get. Inspired by the fact that I got to wear a sweater today (albeit a thin one) and the fact that October is nearly over, I decided to post some pretty pumpkins.

For the second year in a row, I purchased a fairy tale pumpkin (the large one.) This year, she is surrounded by tiny white and orange friends.

Pretty copper and gold pumpkins

This is certainly a creative way of displaying one's address. This would be perfect for someone hosting a party!

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago. I loved the fairy tale pumpkins in various sizes, stacked inside of urns.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sarah Palin demonstrated her sense of humor by appearing on Saturday Night Live last night. The best part was when she appeared on Weekend Update with Amy Poehler and Seth Myers. It's quite possibly the funniest SNL sketch EVER! Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Reese Witherspoon is one of my favorite celebrities and a personal style icon of mine. I admire her for her intelligence, style, class, adorable good nature, and for always staying true to herself. She is featured on the cover of the November issue of Vogue (photgraphed by the incomparable Mario Testino). She looks so incredibly chic and beautiful in this spread. In the feature, she discusses her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, her obsession with Nina Ricci designer, Olivier Thyskiens, and her upcoming movie, Four Christmases. Read the full article here.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month as well as Hispanic Heritage month. I knew that I wanted to feature both causes on La Dolce Vita, and thought to myself, "Why not combine them?". I've put together a handful of images featuring the work of hispanic artists and the color pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

"The Flower Carrier" painted by Mexican artist, Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is one of Mexico's most celebrated artists. Here, she is photographed with a pink ribbon strewn through her hair.

Most of Frida's paintings were self-portraits. This one is entitled "Diego en mi mente", or "Diego on My Mind".

Pablo Picasso of Spain, is arguably the most famous hispanic artist in history. His painting, "Boy with a Pipe" is one of the most widely recognized from his rose period.

"Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon", from Picasso's cubist period is currently housed in New York's Museum of Modern Art.